Politics is often defined by ideologies. The average voter bases decisions on a set of beliefs set forth by his or her chosen political organization. These publicly promoted ideologies play an important role in international as well as domestic political development, yet many adherents to a particular belief may have a poor understanding of competing ideologies.

From right wing to the far left, this text dissects eight prominent ideologies: traditional conservatism, classic liberalism, libertarianism, conservative extremism, contemporary liberalism, communism, dependency theory and Islamism. In plain terms it decsribes the basic doctrine and inherent contradictions of each creed along with its relevance to today's political landscape. An in-depth discussion of the political socialization processes that perpetuate ideologies is also included.